AUSTIN, Minn. – An Austin man who led police on a high speed chase before being injured in a crash has accepted a plea deal. Melchor Barnabas pleaded guilty Friday to fleeing police, tampering with a motor vehicle, and DWI, stemming from his arrest on May 1 in Austin. Police say he sped away from an attempted traffic stop prompting a pursit that ended when the 24 year old crashed into a tree on West Oakland Avenue near Banfield Elementary, causing the car to split in two and catch fire. A sentencing hearing has been set for January 12, 2023.
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